Incandescent bulbs are slowly being phased out in favor of more efficient lighting sources. This has led to an increased use of compact fluorescent bulbs which are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but which tend to contain dangerous gasses, such as mercury. Additionally, many people find the color temperature of light emitted by compact fluorescents to not be aesthetically pleasing for many applications, such as household lighting in kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms; some commercial applications; and the like.
Recent advances in manufacturing light emitting diodes (LEDs) combined with the efficiency and long lifetime of LEDs have led to an increase in the availability and affordability of LED lamps. LED lamps offer advantages over compact fluorescent bulbs including longer lifetime and the absence of dangerous gasses. Also, LED lamps may be configured to emit light at a wide variety of color temperatures.
Both incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs must be designed to maintain a specific environment within the bulb (e.g., a vacuum or a specific mix of gasses). LEDs, by contrast, can function under regular atmospheric conditions. However, because LEDs are small, solid state devices, LED lamps generally utilize board mounted LEDs. Therefore, the electrical components of an LED lamp may be exposed, providing a possible safety hazard.
Thus, there is a need for LED lighting fixtures which are safe for household and commercial uses. Additionally, there is a need for aesthetically pleasing LED lighting fixtures.